Vapor and liquid contacting apparatus



Aug. 3, 1943. A. w. WEITKAMP 1 m. 2,325,818

VAPOR LIQUID CONTACTING APPARATUS I Filed April so, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 30, 194], 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ami Patented Aug. 3, 1943 1 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE vitct l ;5 122;;: g rlcrmc. I v

Alfred W. Weitkaml), W ting, Ind, and Alex G.

' Oblad, Chicago, 111., assignors to Standard Oil Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Indi- Application April 30, 1941, SerialNo. 391 1 3 Claims. (01. 261-94) v Our invention relates to vapor or gas and liquid contacting devices and more particularly is directed to apparatus such, as fractionating columns, scrubbing towers, and the like. The'invention contemplates providing a colpacking of capillary material such as wire gauze. perforated plate and the like having openings of such size that liquid being treated will completely seal the openings.- Larger openings which umn packed with regularly disposed foraminous vice which is of simple and inexpensive construction. Anotherobject is to provide a packing comprising a plurality of superposed capillary cells which are free to adjust themselves to the interior surface of the column. It is another Still another object is to provide a packing which are notfs'ealed by the liquid are providedfor the passage of the vapors flowing spirally and upwardly within the column; The capillary material isso arranged in the column that the liquid will have a continuous path downward, and the vapor a continuous path upward,'each phase without hindrance by theother. Further, we contemplate positioning within-an elongated contacting zone a foraminous packing Ewhich provides the longest possible path of-contact be tween the two phases. Itis also contemplated that a non-foraminous capillary material can be used such as, forexample, etched metal or glass Woven wire is a satisfactory foram'inous material if the mesh is of such size as to v be sealed by the liquid. The size of the wire surfaces.

and the size of the mesh. therefore, are governed by the characteristics and amount of liquid present within the zone. More specifically our invention-is an improvement overthe contacting apparatus described in Stedman Patent 2,227,164. It relates to an improved method of fabrication and assembly and baiiles, the direction of the vapors between successive cells can be reversed. Likewise the successive bullies can be integral with each other but separate from the cones.

' can be fabricated equally well in short or long sections. An additional object is to provide a column of increased efllciency. These and other obiects will become apparent as the description of our invention proceeds.

Our invention will be understood from the following description and the accompanying drawcone and heme from the wire blank:

' able modification and arrangement of alternate Figure 4 is an elevation in perspective of a' portion of a column fabricated in accordance with our invention; and v Figure 5 is a graphical representation of-the increased efliciency obtained in the use-of our improved packing.- V 7 Our invention is directed to the control of the ilowof the ascending vapors in the space between the cells. In the prior art packing the vapors upon entering this space subdivide and flow across the column to the next opening spaced only 180 degrees from the lower opening or inlet to the space. By our invention the ascending vapors are caused to flow in a single stream more than 180 degrees and in one embodiment all the wa around the annular space between cells before entering the next cell.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral ill designates the wall of the column and vapors or gases enter a lower portion of the column and I! designed and constructed according-to our-invention. Each element comprises a conical disc having an attached 'baiiic l2 adjacent the vapor openings It or M.

It 'is contemplated that preformed cones will be used in fabricating our column. In a pre- It is an object of our invention to provide a column with maximum contact between liquid ferred embodiment the manufacture of the cones comprisesusingan accurate, hardened die in a and-vapor over an extended area. Uniform disother object. A further obiect'is to provide a packing which retains a minimum amount of l quid. I

A further obiectis to provide a cgntactingdepress .to shape and cutthe foraminous material which can be wire gauze. A hardened die partially forms the cone and cuts the outer edge of the formed cone. As the cone descends with an anvil, av-shaped stationary punch cuts and forms the wing. However, if desired, the vapor openings I! or ll lI'-i2 can be procones must be slotted to-accommodate flap or segment I2.

When two such cones are placed apex-to-apex with the upturned segments I2 in juxtaposition, a radial baille I 2I2 is formed in the space I6 between the cones II and I1 andthe wall of the column ID. The vapor issuing into the space I6 between the cones' II and Il from opening I3 of the cell below is forced to pass completely around the space I6 between the cells before entering the upper cell through the opening I4 in the upper cone I I of the pair. Each element fits the column at least as closely as the mesh of the gauze. If it were otherwise the liquid would race down the walls of the column and efliciency' I in the column, and assures a very tight fit.

The cones are inserted into the column with a ramrod. No fastening of the individual cones is necessary and thus we eliminate all necessity for welding to form an integral unit. Likewise proper grinding to insure correct dimensions of the welded packing is avoided. The spring of the metal holds the cones permanently in place and a very tight fit is insured. This cannot be true of a rigid packing prepared by welding and grinding In operation, reflux or liquid introduced into the top of the column In flows over the capillary material and seals the openings. A cone Hand an adjacent lower cone Il together with a baflie I2--I2 form one unit. The liquid flows radially inwardly in the top cone II vertically downward in baflie I 2--I2. and radially outwardly in the lower cone IT. This radially inwardly, vertically downward and radially outwardly flow in upper .cone I I, baili I2-I2 and lower cone I'I, respectively, continues until the liquid reaches the bottom of the column I 0. The vapor enters at a point near the bottom of the column, flows upwardly following a substantially spiral path from bottom to top. The vapor flows from the outlet I 3 of the lower cone II into the annular space I6, between the cones to the inlet opening ll of the upper cone II. The vapor openings I3 and I4 of any two cones II and I1 apex-to-apex are substantially vertically disposed and the flow in the annular space I6 between these cones is directed by the baflies I2I2 therebetween. The

--inlet and the outlet openings I4 and I3 of any iven cell formed by the cones I I and I1 baseto-base, however, are oppositely disposed to one another in a direction transverse to the axis of the column In and the packing.

This results in improved contact between ascending vapor and descending reflux with a net increase in efficiency of about 12% over a conthe; .ordinary conical pattern packing of the prior art.

Figure 5 shows the results obtained by -tests of a column packed with the capillary material employing our invention. The cones were one inch in diameter, one quarter inch deep and were provided with radial external baffles. The total column was about twelve inches in height and consisted of twenty-four cells, or forty-eight cones, arranged as shown in Figure 4 in a Pyrex column equipped with silvered vacuum jackets with standard ground glass joints. A binary mixture of benzene-ethylene dichloride was used and the tests were made at atmospheric, pressure with total reflux. Similar runswere made using the specification and claims is intended to includev prionart packing and our packing without the baflles.

In thembodiment shown all the segments I2 are folded in a counterclockwise direction or to the left about one radius. Thatis, all the cones are of one general pattern and the vapors follow a substantially spiral path. If alternate pairs of cones III1 have segments folded in a counterclockwise direction, the path of the vapor becomes circular between any one pair of cells as before but the path reverses on itself in each successive flight. Thus, for example, the vapor entering a baiiled zon I6 by vapor opening I3 travels in a circular path as it did in the corresponding space below the cell I8 but in a reverse direction. This results in greater efliciency by further reducing channelling of the vapor while increasing the degree and amount of contact with the liquid. v

Each element in the illustrated embodiment comprises a conical disc. However, a pyramidal disc can be used with the necessary modification oi. the column. Therefore, cone as used in the pyramids and cones.

Although we have described our invention with reference to certain embodiments thereof it is contemplated that various changes can be made in details within the scope of our claims without departing from the spirit of our invention. It is, therefore, understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

apex to apex. the capillary openings of which are sealabl with the liquid being fractionated, baiiies of liquid-conducting capillary material extending transversely across-the annular channels between the surfaces of said cones and in capillary liquid conducting contact with at least one of the adjacent cones, and vapor openings in said cones adjacent said baflles whereby ascend-.

capilm'an w. ALEX c+. OBLAD. 

